Antibiotics and their preparation

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to antibiotics designated 9865 RP, and its three constituents, hereinafter designated 13057 RP, 13213 RP and 13330 RP and their preparation.

This invention relates to antibiotics and their preparation.

The present invention provides the new antibiotic, hereinafter designated 9865 RP, and its three constituents, hereinafter designated 13057 RP, 13213 RP and 13330 RP.

13057 R.P. possesses a very pronounced anti-cancer activity.

This new antibiotic 9865 RP is produced by the culture of two microorganisms, hereinafter more completely characterised, belonging to the genus Streptomyces and designated, respectively, "Streptomyces 8899" and "Streptomyces 31723" .

The antibiotic 9865 RP has the following characteristics: it is an amorphous orange-red powder soluble in chlorinated solvents, such as chloroform and dichloroethane, moderately soluble in water acidified to between pH3 and 4, very slightly soluble in alcohols and practically insoluble in water, benzene and diethyl ether; it contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen in the following proportions, C = 61.0%, H = 6.2%, O = 28.15%, N = 2.65%; its ultra-violet spectrum (as determined on a solution in 96% ethanol) shows absorption maxima at 236 mμ, E₁ cm..sup. 1% = 425, 255 mμ, E₁ cm..sup.^(1%) = 308, 290 mμ, E₁ cm..sup. 1% = 114, and 495 mμ, E₁ cm..sup. 1% = 146, and absorption minima at 245 mμ, E₁ cm..sup. 1% = 284, 280 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 108, and 325 mμ, E₁ cm..sup. 1% = 20, and a shoulder at 533 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 80; its infrared spectrum (as determined on tablets made up with potassium bromide) shows the following principal absorption bands:

                  TABLE I                                                          ______________________________________                                         about   3450      S               1147    sh                                           2925      S               1113    S                                            1715      S               1080    S                                            1615      S               1067    S                                            1580      S               1030    S                                            1445      S               1005    vS                                           1410      vS               990    vS                                           1377      S       about    945    sh                                           1350      S                917    m                                            1282      vS               873    m                                            1260      sh               840    m                                            1230      S                815    m                                            1205      vS               793    m                                    about   1190      sh               764    m                                                              about    690    m                                    ______________________________________                                          vS = very strong                                                               S = strong                                                                     m = medium                                                                     sh = shoulder.                                                           

vS = very strong

S = strong

m = medium

sh = shoulder.

The accompanying drawings show the ultra-violet and infra-red absorption spectra of 9865 RP and its three constituents. In the drawings, FIG. I is the ultra-violet spectrum of 9865 RP and FIG. II is the infra-red spectrum of 9865 RP. FIGS. III, V, VII and IX are the ultra-violet spectra of 13057 RP, the hydrochloride of 13057 RP, 13213 RP and the aglycone of 9865 RP, respectively, and FIGS. IV, VI, VIII and X are the infra-red spectra of 13057 RP, the hydrochloride of 13057 RP, 13213 RP, and the aglycone of 9865 RP, respectively.

The constituents of 9865 RP can be detected by paper chromatograhy. The antibiotic is chromatographed on Arches No. 302 paper impregnated with a pH 4.8 phosphate buffer, with n-butanol saturated with water, using descending development. The chromatogram is developed by biautography on nutritive agar plates seeded with Bacillus subtilis or Klebsiella pneumoniae. The chromatogram shows that 9865 RP contains three active substances, herein named 13057 RP, 13213 RP and 13330 RP, the Rf value of which are, in this system, respectively 0.3, 0.7 and 0.9.

These three constituents, of which 13057 RP and 13213 RP are particularly important, may be isolated from 9865 RP, by various methods, some of which will be described below. 13057 RP is a base which forms acid addition salts. The free base is an amorphous red powder soluble in alcohols and chloroform, very slightly soluble in water and ketones and particularly insoluble in benzene and diethyl ether; it contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen in the following proportions, C = 59.8%, H = 5.85%, N = 2.3%, O = 29.45%; it melts at 155° - 170° C. (with decomposition); its ultra-violet spectrum (as determined on a solution in 96% ethanol) shows absorption maxima at 236 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 621, 255 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 426, 290-295 mμ, E₁ cm..sup. 1% = 135, and 482-498 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 230, and absorption minima at 245 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 378, 280 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 122, and 325 mμ, E₁ cm^(1%) = 10, and a shoulder at 533 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 127; its infra-red spectrum (as determined on tablets in mixture with potassium bromide) shows the following principal absorption bands:

                  TABLE II                                                         ______________________________________                                         about 3450 vS    1410 S         1205 S  1068 m                                       2925 S     1380 S   about 1190 sh 1033 m                                       1715 m     1355 S         1150 sh 1010 S                                       1615 S     1282 S         1117 S   983 S                                       1582 S     1262 sh        1090 m   950 w                                       1447 S     1230 S         1080 m   918 w                                        867 w      815 m          790 m   762 m                                 about  840                                                                     ______________________________________                                          vS = very strong                                                               S = strong                                                                     m = medium                                                                     w = weak                                                                       sh = shoulder.                                                           

vS = very strong

S = strong

m = medium

w = weak

sh = shoulder;

its hydrochloride forms orange-red needles soluble in water and alcohols, slightly soluble in chloroform and practically insoluble in benzene and diethyl ether, has the following elemental composition: C = 55.4%, H = 5.45%, O = 28.8%, N = 2.13%, Cl = 6.15%, melts at 225°-230° C. (with decomposition), shows the optical rotation [α]_(D) ²⁰ = + 240° (c = 0.1; methanol), has an ultra-violet spectrum (as determined on a solution in 96% ethanol) showing absorption maxima at 236 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 594, 255 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 410, 290-295 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 129, and 482-498 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 218, and absorption minima at 245 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 360, 280 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 118, and 325 mμ, E₁ cm..sup. 1% = 10, and a shoulder at 533 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 120, and has an infra-red spectrum (as determined on tablets in mixture with potassium bromide) showing the following principal absorption bands:

                  TABLE III                                                        ______________________________________                                         about 3450 vS          1350 S 1080 S       882 m                               about 2925 S           1282 vS                                                                               1064 S       867 S                                     1707 S           1260 sh                                                                               1028 S       838 S                                     1610 vS          1228 S 1000 vS      813 S                                     1575 vS          1205 vS                                                                                988vS       788 S                                     1439 vS  about   1190 sh                                                                                950 m       762 S                                     1408 vS  about   1145 sh                                                                                935 m about 692 m                                     1370 S           1112 vS                                                                                912 m                                           ______________________________________                                          vS = very strong                                                               S = strong                                                                     m = medium                                                                     sh = shoulder.                                                           

vS = very strong

S = strong

m = medium

sh = shoulder.

13213 RP is an amorphous orange-red powder soluble in chlorinated solvents, such as chloroform, and in dimethylformamide, moderately soluble in water acidified to between pH 3 and 4, very slightly soluble in alcohols and practically insoluble in water, benzene and diethyl ether; it contains carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen in the following proportions, C = 58.6%, H = 6.2%, N = 2.2%, and also contains oxygen; it has an ultra-violet spectrum (as determined on a solution in 96% ethanol) showing absorption maxima at 236 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 425, 255 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 297, 290-295 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 108, and 480-495 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 155, and absorption minima at 245 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 274, 280 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 103, and 325 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 20, and a shoulder at 533 mμ , E₁ cm^(1%) = 90; and its infra-red spectrum (as determined on tablets in mixture with potassium bromide) shows the following principal absorption bands:

                  TABLE IV                                                         ______________________________________                                         about 3450 S   1377 S  about 1190 sh      995 S                                about 2925 m   1352 S  about 1180 sh                                                                               about 837 m                                      1715 m   1282 S        1117 vS      812 S                                      1615 S   1262 S  about 1080 S about 796 S                                      1583 S   1230 S        1032 S       765 m                                about 1445 S   1205 S        1008 S about 690 m                                      1412 S                                                                   ______________________________________                                          vS = very strong                                                               S = strong                                                                     m = medium                                                                     sh = shoulder.                                                           

vS = very strong

S = strong

m = medium

sh = shoulder.

The acid hydrolysis of 9865 RP and of its two main constituents, 13057 RP and 13213 RP, liberates amino-sugars and a coloured substance which is an aglycone. This aglycone forms orange-red needles, soluble in alcohols, ethyl acetate and chloroform, slightly soluble in benzene and diethyl ether, and insoluble in water; it has the following composition: C = 63.4%, H = 5.7%, O = 30.4%, N = less than 0.2%; it melts at 160° C. and again at 225° -230° C.; its ultra-violet spectrum (as determined on a solution in 96% ethanol) shows absorption maxima at 236 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 835, 255 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 570, 290-295 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 167, and 470-495 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 272, and absorption minima at 245 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 510, 280 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 149, and 325 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = about 0, and a shoulder at 533 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 145; its infra-red spectrum (as determined on tablets in mixture with potassium bromide) shows the following principal absorption bands:

                  TABLE V                                                          ______________________________________                                         about 3430 S    1350 S     about 1083 S 835 S                                  about 2910 S    1275 vS          1065 S 808 S                                        1707 S    1228 vS          1032 S 709 S                                        1610 vS   1210 vS           988 vS                                                                               762 S                                        1575 vS   1185 sh           941 m 737 m                                        1440 vS   1150 m            918 m 718 m                                        1415 vS   1117 S            858 m 695 S                                        1375 vS                                                                  ______________________________________                                          vS = very strong                                                               S = strong                                                                     m = medium                                                                     sh = shoulder.                                                           

vS = very strong

S ' strong

m = medium

sh = shoulder.

The aglycone of 9865 RP, 13057 RP and 13213 RP may be identified by circular paper chromatography, which is effected on Arches No. 302 paper impregnated with a solution of acetone containing 20% formamide, with a 2:1 mixture of chloroform and benzene saturated with formamide. It is thus possible to demonstrate the existence of a single substance, having an Rf value of 0.86.

The bacteriostatic activity of 9865 RP and of 13057 RP and 13213 RP, in relation to a certain number of organisms, has been determined by the dilution methods currently employed for this purpose. For each organism, the lowest concentration of substance has been determined which, under the defined conditions, prevents all visible development in an appropriate nutritive broth. The results of various determinations are shown in Table VI, wherein the minimal bacteriostatic concentrations are expressed as micrograms of substance per cubic centimeter of experimental medium.

                                      TABLE VI                                     __________________________________________________________________________     ANTIBACTERIAL SPECTRA                                                                                                 9865 RP 13057 RP                                                                               13213 RP                                                       Minimal Minimal Minimal                                                        bacteriostatic                                                                         bacteriostatic                                                                         bacteriostatic                                                 concentration                                                                          concentration                                                                          concentration                        Bacterial strains tested  mcg./cc.                                                                               mcg./cc.                                                                               mcg./cc.                __________________________________________________________________________     Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           strain 209 P - ATCC 6538 P                                                                          0.20    4.3     0.14                    Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           Oxford strain - ATCC 9144                                                                           0.26    4.2     0.15                    Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           strain 133 (Institut Pasteur)                                                                       0.14    4.2     0.083                   Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           strain B.sub.3 (streptomycin and                                                                    0.35    5.2     0.20                                      penicillin resistant)                                        Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           strain Hb (tetracycline and                                                                         0.32    5.3     0.17                                      penicillin resistant)                                        Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           strain Launoy 1 (tetracycline,                                                                      0.21    7.1     0.091                                     streptomycin, chloramphenicol and                                              penicillin resistant)                                        Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           strain Launoy Dig (tetracycline,                                                                    0.17    4.8     0.091                                     streptomycin and penicillin                                                    resistant)                                                   Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           strain Beaujon 3 (tetracycline,                                                                     0.16    4.4     0.068                                     streptomycin, chloramphenicol and                                              penicillin resistant)                                        Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           strain 2700 R (streptothricin                                                                       0.21    4.7     0.10                                      resistant)                                                   Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           strain 1142 R (congocidin resistant)                                                                0.17    2.1     0.10                    Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           strain 3486 R (spiramycin resistant)                                                                0.21    5.2     0.091                   Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           carbomycin resistant strain                                                                         0.23    5.3     0.12                    Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           erythromycin resistant strain                                                                       0.11    3.8     0.055                   Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           chloramphenicol resistant strain                                                                    0.08    4.1     0.045                   Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           novobiocin resistant strain                                                                         0.12    3.9     0.075                   Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           streptogramin resistant strain                                                                      0.16    1.9     0.076                   Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           actinomycin resistant strain                                                                        0.19    5.8     0.10                    Staphylococcus aureus,                                                                           strain 662 R (rufochromomycin)                                                                      0.29    6.3     0.16                                      resistant)                                                   Micrococcus citreus                                                            ATCC 8,411        0.71                 4.2     0.19                            Micrococcus lysodeikticus              0.21    2.5     0.068                   Gaffkya tetragena (Fac.Phie)           0.44    6.7     0.23                    Sarcina lutea                                                                  ATCC 9341         0.15                 1.2     0.088                           Sarcina alba      (Fac.Phie)           0.38    3.3     0.18                    Streptococcus faecalis                                                                           (Thiercelin's enterococcus                                                                          1.2     19      0.55                                      Fac.Phie)                                                    Streptococcus faecalis                                                         ATCC 9790         2.1                  30      1                               Streptococcus viridans                                                                           (Institut Pasteur)           43      2.1                     Streptococcus pyogenes                                                                           (strain DIG 7, Institute Pasteur                                                                    0.11    1.6     0.17                     nemolyticus                                                                   Diplococcus pneumoniae                                                                           (strain Til. Institut Pasteur)                                                                      0.075   0.89    0.05                    Neisseria catarrhalis                                                                            (Fac.Phie)           0.31    2.2     0.12                    Corynebacterium pseudodiphtericum                                                                (Fac.Phie)           0.026   1.7     0.017                   Lactobacillus casei                                                            ATCC 7469         0.035                1.2     0.017                           Bacillus subtilis                                                              ATCC 6633         0.12                 1.2     0.058                           Bacillus Subtilis (strain Z0 5 A, Fac.Phie)                                                                           0.12    1.5     0.044                   Bacillus Subtilis (strain 3 R 9575, Merck - ATCC 9524)                                                                0.12    1.8     0.052                   Bacillus cereus                                                                ATCC 6630         0.24                 2.2     0.084                           Bacillus brevis                                                                ATCC 8185         0.14                 1.4     0.083                           Bacillus mycoides                      0.14    1.8     0.049                   Bacillus megatherium                                                                             (NRRL B 1125)        0.25    1.3     0.15                    Bacillus polymyxa (NCTC 4747)          0.70    4.4     0.83                    Mycobacterium smegmatis                                                        ATCC 607          0.13                 1.2     0.21                            Mycobacterium phlei                                                                              (Bacteriological Institute of Lyon)                                                                 0.041   5       0.035                   Mycobacterium para-smegmatis                                                                     (A 75-Lausanne)      0.069   2.2     0.09                    Escherichia coli                                                               ATCC 9637         >4.3                 500     5.1                             Shigella dysenteriae                                                                             (Shiga L. - Institut Pasteur)                                                                       16      2000    13                      Salmonella typhimurium                                                                           (Institut Pasteur)   31      1000    13                      Salmonella paratyphi A                                                                           (Lacasse, Institut Pasteur)                                                                         3.9     16                              Salmonella schottmuelleri                                                                        (Fougenc, Institut Pasteur)                                                                         16      1000    13                       (paratyphi B)                                                                 Bacillus lactis aerogenes                                                                        (Fac.Phie)           1.9     120                             Aerobacter aerogenes                                                           ATCC 8308         7.8                  1000    6.3                             Alcaligenes faecalis                                                           ATCC 8749         0.18                 1.8     0.065                           Proteus vulgaris  (Fac.Phie)           16      >2000   25                      Proteus X 19      3.9                  62      3.1                             Klebsiella pneumoniae                                                          ATCC 10,031       1                    8.9     0.88                            Serratia marcescens                                                                              (A. 476, Lausanne)   7.8     120     6.3                     Pseudomonas aeruginosa                                                                           (Bass strain - Institut Pasteur)                                                                    16      1000    12                      Brucella bronchiseptica                                                                          (CN 387 - Wellcome Institute)                                                                               62      6.3                     Pasteurella multocida                                                                            (A. 125 - Institut Pasteur)                                                                         0.24    1.8     0.07                    __________________________________________________________________________

These results show that the bacteriostatic activity of 9865 RP, 13057 RP and 13213 RP is exerted against numerous bacteria, certain of which are resistant to one or more of the following antibiotics: penicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin, streptothricin, neomycin, congocidin, erythromycin, carbomycin, spiramycin, streptogramin, chloramphenicol, novobiocin, and the anticancer antibiotics, actinomycin and rufochromomycin. The anticancer activities of 9865 RP and of its three constituents have been demonstrated in the laboratory, where they have been shown to be particularly active against transplantable tumours in the mouse, such as Ehrlich's ascitic tumour, sarcoma 180, benzopyrene sarcoma and lymphoblastic leucaemia AKR. The most interesting of the new antibiotics in this respect has been shown to be 13057 RP, which shows in the mouse an acute 50% lethal dose (or LD₅₀), determined for subcutaneous administration, of LD₅₀ = 47 mg./kg. s.c. and a sub-acute 50% lethal dose (or LD₅₀) (giving one dose per day for 5 days), determined for intravenous or subcutaneous administration, of LD₅₀ = 8.75 mg./kg. (intravenously) or LD₅₀ = 13.65 mg./kg. (subcutaneously).

The microorganisms which produce 9865 RP belong to the genus Streptomyces and are designated herein "Streptomyces 8899" and "Streptomyces 31723" respectively. They have been deposited at the Northern Regional Research Laboratory of Peoria, Illinois, United States of America, under the respective references NRRL 3046 and NRRL 3045. They were isolated from soil samples taken in two different regions of Algeria.

The method of isolation was as follows. The soil sample is suspended in sterile distilled water and the suspension diluted to various concentrations. A small volume of each dilution is spread on the surface of Petri dishes containing a nutritive agar medium. After incubation for several days at 26° C. the colonies of microorganisms which it is wished to isolate are pricked out onto agar slopes to give more abundant cultures.

According to the modern classifications designed for the identification of Streptomyces [S. A. Waksman, "The Actinomycetes", The Williams and Wilkins Company, Baltimore, 1961, Vol. II - "Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology", 7th Edition, The Williams and Wilkins Company, Baltimore, 1957 - L. Ettlinger et coll., Archiv. fur Mikrobiologie, 31, 326 (1958)] no description of any species has been found, the culture characteristics of which coincide with those of Streptomyces 8899 or 31723.

By means of the classification given by G. F. Gause et coll. ("Zur Klassifizierung der Actinomyceten", Veb Gustav Fisher Verlag, Jena, 1958) the species Streptomyces coeruleorubidus has nevertheless been observed as having a description closely similar to that of the newly discovered strains. Although, according to S. A. Waksman (loc.cit. pp. 323-326) this description is somewhat imprecise, it is nevertheless possible to assimilate Streptomyces 8899 and Streptomyces 31723 into the species Streptomyces coeruleorubidus and to list them under the designations Streptomyces coeruleorubidus strain 8899 and Streptomyces coeruleorubidus strain 31723 respectively. In order to clarify their similarities and differences, the detailed characteristics of the two strains Streptomyces 8899 and Streptomyces 31723 are given below parallel with the characteristics of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus as described by G. F. Gause et coll.

Microscopic Morphology

The sporulation of Streptomyces 8899 and 31723 is difficult to observe because of its complexity. It is observable either on "synthetic" media such as that described by Grundy et coll. (Antibiotics and Chemotherapy, 1, 309 (1951)) or on complex media such as Benett's medium (K. L. Jones, J. Bacteriol., 57, 142 (1949)). Cultures on thin plates examined under the microscope show the formation of branched filaments and of spore chains characteristic of the genus Streptomyces. The spore-bearing filaments presenting the most complex degree of development are in the form of spirals with serrated coils of several, and often more than five, turns. The spores are oval, measuring about 0.6 - 0.9 to 0.8 - 1.2 μ.

The attachment of the spore-bearing filaments presents a verticillated structure, sometimes monoverticillated but more often biverticillated. This structure is only observable under the microscope if the spore-bearing filaments are only spirals of one or two turns or are reduced to a loop; otherwise the development of spirals is too thick and masks their attachment, hindering the observation of any secondary whorls in their structures.

Taking into account the morphological elements which show the most complex development, it can be concluded that the spore-bearing apparatus of Streptomyces 8899 and 31723 corresponds to the Biverticillus-spira type described in the classification of T. G. Pridham et coll. [Applied Microbiol., 6, 52 (1958)].

Since the aerial mycelium of well-developed cultures of both of the new types of Streptomyces is light blue, on comparison with Pridham's classification by series, Streptomyces 8899 and 31723 are placed in the Biverticillus-spira blue series section, in which no species are described, though Streptomyces coeruleorubidus appears in the Spira blue series section.

General Characteristics

On "synthetic" media, Streptomyces 8899 and 31723 generally possess a vegetative mycelium which is usually rose or orange-rose at the beginning of development, the red colour intensifying with the incubation, becoming almost bright red. On "organic" media, the vegetative mycelium is yellow-brown or red-brown. The aerial mycelium is generally well-developed on both types of medium. It is white at the beginning of its development and then very rapidly becomes a shade of light blue, called below turquoise blue. According to the degree of development or the nature of the medium, it present a slightly variable intensity of tone, or its colour may be slightly softened. Pure red or orange-red soluble pigments are formed in "synthetic" media of intensity which varies with the age of the cultures; the pigment is a softened red (red-brown or rose-brown) in "organic" media. On Williams and McCoy medium, an abundant production of characteristic black melanic pigment is observed.

Culture Characteristics and Biochemical Properties

The culture characteristics and biochemical properties of Streptomyces 8899 and 31723 have been studied on the usual nutritive agar or liquid media used in the identification of strains of Streptomyces. The observations are given in detail in Table VII; they relate to cultures incubated at 26° C. for about one month. The final state of the cultures and the colours produced are given. The references or composition of the culture media are given below. The description of S. coeruleorubidus by G. F. Gause et coll. is given in this Table so far as possible for comparison with cultures obtained on media of similar formulae.

                                      TABLE VII                                    __________________________________________________________________________               Streptomyces 8899 Streptomyces 31723                                                                              Streptomyces                      __________________________________________________________________________                                                  coeruleorubidus                   Czapeck's agar                                                                           Vegetative mycelium:                                                                             Vegetative mycelium: slight,                                                                    Synthetic medium No. 1 of         (with sucrose)                                                                           slight, flat, rose, under-                                                                       cracked, yellowish-rose,                                                                        Grause et coll.                   (ref. 1, medium                                                                          side bright red.  underside becoming medium red.                                                                  Vegetative mycelium: rasp-        No. 1)    Aerial mycelium:  Aerial mycelium: berry-red to grey-brown.                    turquoise blue.   turquoise blue.  Aerial mycelium: bluish.                    Soluble pigment: light red.                                                                      Soluble pigment: medium red.                                                                    Soluble pigment: raspberry-                                                    red to grey-brown.                Czapek's agar                                                                            Vegetative mycelium: slight,                                                                     Vegetative mycelium: slight,                       (with glucose)                                                                           folded, crackled, rose,                                                                          cracked, yellowish-rose,                           (ref. 1-A)                                                                               underside orange-red.                                                                            underside becoming medium red.                               Aerial mycelium: turquoise                                                                       Aerial mycelium: turquoise                                   blue.             blue.                                                        Soluble pigment: red tinged                                                                      Soluble pigment: medium red.                                 with orange.                                                         Agar with calcium                                                                        Vegetative mycelium: slight,                                                                     Vegetative mycelium: slight,                       malate    flat, underside pale rose.                                                                       flat, underside pale mauve.                        (ref. 2)  Aerial mycelium: turquoise                                                                       Aerial mycelium: rather poorly                               blue.             developed, white to turquoise                                Soluble pigment: pale rose.                                                                      blue.                                                        Remark: complete solubili-                                                                       Soluble pigment: rose-mauve.                                 sation of calcium malate in                                                                      Remark: complete solubilisa-                                 one month.        tion of calcium malate in                                                      one month.                                         Agar with tyro-                                                                          Vegetative mycelium:                                                                             Vegetative mycelium: fairly                        sine      slight, folded, brown-                                                                           thick, folded, very dark                           (ref. 3)  black.            brown.                                                       Aerial mycelium: in traces,                                                                      Aerial mycelium: none.                                       greyish-white.    Soluble pigment: dark brown.                                 Soluble pigment: dark brown.                                                                     Remark: no solubilisation of                                 Remark: no solubilisation of                                                                     the tyrosine.                                                the tyrosine.                                                        Agar with Vegetative mycelium: thick,                                                                      Vegetative mycelium: thick,                                                                     Vegetative mycelium:                                                           colour-                           starch    little folded, yellowish-                                                                        finely folded, underside                                                                        less or rose.                     (ref. 1,  rose, underside pale rose                                                                        dull red.                                          medium No. 10)                                                                           mauve.                                                                         Aerial mycelium: turquoise                                                                       Aerial mycelium: turquoise                                                                      Aerial mycelium: whitish-                   blue.             blue             bluish.                                     Soluble pigment: rose                                                                            Soluble pigment: rose                                                                           Soluble pigment: none. No                   tinged with orange.                                                                              tinged with orange.                                                                             hydrolysis or slow                                                             hydrolysis                                                                     of the starch.                    Agar with Vegetative mycelium: finely                                                                      Vegetative mycelium: slight                                                                     (Organic medium No. 2 of                                                       Gause                             glucose   folded cinnamon-coloured, under-                                                                 and very finely folded,                                                                         et coll.)                         (ref. 1,  side light yellow-brown.                                                                         yellowish-red then reddish-                                                                     Vegetative mycelium:                                                           reddish-                          medium No. 7)                                                                            Aerial mycelium: poorly                                                                          brown.           brown.                                      developed, white to                                                                              Aerial mycelium: traces,                                                                        Aerial mycelium: sparse,                    turquoise blue.   white.           whitish.                                    Soluble pigment: yellow-                                                                         Soluble pigment: light                                                                          Soluble pigment: reddish-                   brown to light red-brown.                                                                        yellowish-brown. brown.                            Asparagine-                                                                              Vegetative mycelium: slight,                                                                     Vegetative mycelium: fairly                        glycerine agar                                                                           little folded, pale rose                                                                         thick and folded, light                            (ref. 1,  tinged with orange, under-                                                                       rose, underside red tinged                         medium No.3)                                                                             side rose tinged with orange.                                                                    with orange.                                                 Aerial mycelium: turquoise                                                                       Aerial mycelium: turquoise                                   blue.             blue.                                                        Soluble pigment: pale rose                                                                       Soluble pigment: pale rose                                   tinged with orange.                                                                              tinged with orange.                                Benett's agar                                                                            Vegetative mycelium: fairly                                                                      Vegetative mycelium: slight                        (ref. 4)  thick, finely folded,                                                                            and very finely folded,                                      light red-brown, underside                                                                       shrimp-red, underside                                        dark brown.       reddish-brown.                                               Aerial mycelium: turquoise                                                                       Aerial mycelium: turquoise                                   blue.             blue.                                                        Soluble pigment: red-brown.                                                                      Soluble pigment: weak,                                                         rose-brown.                                        Starch-ammonium                                                                          Vegetative mycelium: slight,                                                                     Vegetative mycelium: slight,                       phosphate agar                                                                           flat, underside pale                                                                             flat, colourless, underside                        (ref. 5)  yellowish to nearly blue.                                                                        slightly rose tinted.                                        Aerial mycelium: very well                                                                       Aerial mycelium: very well                                   developed, turquoise blue.                                                                       developed, turquoise blue.                                   Soluble pigment: none.                                                                           Soluble pigment: none.                             Maltose-tryptone                                                                         Vegetative mycelium: very                                                                        Vegetative mycelium: thick,                        agar      thick, folded, crackled,                                                                         folded, crackled, underside                        (ref. 6)  underside black-brown.                                                                           black-brown.                                                 Aerial mycelium: very well                                                                       Aerial mycelium: very well                                   developed, turquoise blue                                                                        developed, turquoise blue                                    to grey blue.     to grey blue.                                                Soluble pigment: melanic                                                                         Soluble pigment: melanic                                     pigment, intense black-                                                                          pigment, intense black-                                      brown, characteristic.                                                                           brown, characteristic.                             Gelatine  Vegetative mycelium: slight                                                                      Vegetative mycelium: pellicle                                                                   Vegetative mycelium: dark         (stab culture)                                                                           pellicle with yellowish-                                                                         fragmented with yellowish-                                                                      yellow or grey-brown.             (7)       underside.        rose underside.                                              Aerial mycelium: poorly                                                                          Aerial mycelium: poorly                                                                         Soluble pigment:                                                               grey-brown.                                 developed, remaining white.                                                                      developed, white.                                            Soluble pigment: medium                                                                          Soluble pigment: yellow-                                                                        Remark: slow and complete                   brown.            brown, not abundant.                                                                            liquefaction of the                                                            gelatine.                                   Remark: slow and incomplete                                                                      Remark: slow and incomplete                                  liquefaction of the gelatine.                                                                    liquefaction of the gelatine.                      Potato    Vegetative mycelium: thick,                                                                      Vegetative mycelium: thick                                                                      Vegetative mycelium:                                                           smooth,                           (ref. 1,  finely folded, light yellow-                                                                     and folded, red tinged with                                                                     colourless, yellowish or                                                       dark                              medium No. 27)                                                                           brown then reddish-brown.                                                                        orange to reddish brown.                                                                        rose.                                       Aerial mycelium: turquoise                                                                       Aerial mycelium: turquoise                                                                      Aerial mycelium:                                                               white-blue,                                 blue.             blue.            blue or green-blue; some                    Soluble pigment: dark red-                                                                       Soluble pigment: dark red-                                                                      strains rose-blue.                          brown.            brown.           Soluble pigment: sometimes                                                     dark rose.                        Skimmed milk                                                                             Vegetative mycelium: thick,                                                                      Vegetative mycelium:                                                                            Vegetative mycelium:                                                           colour-                           (ref. 8)  dark yellowish-brown ring.                                                                       slight yellowish-rose to                                                                        less or yellowish.                                            reddish-brown ring.                                          Aerial mycelium: traces,                                                                         Aerial mycelium: traces,                                                                        Soluble pigment:                                                               grey-brown.                                 white.            white.                                                       Soluble pigment: brown.                                                                          Soluble pigment: brown.                                                                         Remarks: coagulation and                    Remarks: neither coagula-                                                                        Remarks: neither coagula-                                                                       peptonisation negative or                   tion nor peptonisation,                                                                          tion nor peptonisation,                                                                         positive according to                                                          strain.                                     change in pH very slight,                                                                        weak acidification of                                        from 6.3-6.5 to 6.0-6.3.                                                                         medium as with S. 8899.                            Starch solution                                                                          Vegetative mycelium: slight                                                                      Vegetative mycelium: slight                        (ref. 1,  pellicle, bright red.                                                                            pellicle, bright red.                              medium No.19)                                                                            Aerial mycelium: poorly                                                                          Aerial mycelium: traces,                                     developed, white to                                                                              white.                                                       turquoise blue.                                                                Soluble pigment: red tinged                                                                      Soluble pigment: red tinged                                  with orange.      with orange.                                                 Remark: hydrolysis of the                                                                        Remark: hydrolysis of the                                    starch complete in one                                                                           starch complete in one                                       month.            month.                                             Synthetic solu-                                                                          Vegetative mycelium: poorly                                                                      Vegetative mycelium: several                                                                    Vegetative mycelium:                                                           colour-                           tion with developed, slight colour-                                                                        isolated, yellowish                                                                             less.                             nitrate   less pellicle.    colonies.                                          (ref. 7)  Aerial mycelium: none.                                                                           Aerial mycelium: none.                                                                          Soluble pigment: sometimes                  Soluble pigment: none.                                                                           Soluble pigment: none.                                                                          yellow.                                     Remark: no reduction to                                                                          Remark: no reduction to                                                                         Remarks: reduction positive                 nitrite.          nitrite.         or negative according to                                                       strain.                           Microscopic                                                                              Spore-bearing filaments in                                                                       As Streptomyces 8899.                                                                           Spirals of 5-7 turns,             morphology                                                                               the form of spirals                spherical spores.                 medium: refs.                                                                            arranged in a secondary                                              4 and 5.  verticillate structure.                                                        Spores short ovals.                                                  __________________________________________________________________________

References or Compositions of Culture Media

1. S. A. Waksman; "The Actinomycetes", Chronica Botanica Company, Waltham (Mass.), U.S.A., 1950, pages 193-197.

1-A. Obtained by replacing sucrose by the same weight of glucose in the preceeding formula.

2. Calcium malate 1%, ammonium chloride 0.05%, dipotassium phosphate 0.05%, agar 2%.

3. Peptone 0.5%, meat extract 0.3%, tyrosine 0.5%, agar 2%.

4. K. L. Jones, J. Bacteriology, 57, 142 (1949).

5. Grundy et coll., Antibiotics and Chemotherapy, 1, 309 (1951).

6. A. M. Williams and E. McCoy, Appl. Microbiol., 1, 307 (1953).

7. Manual of Methods for pure culture study of bacteria, Society of American bacteriologists (II 50 - 18).

8. Commercial skimmed milk powder, reconstituted according to the manufacturers' instructions.

Utilisation of Various Hydrocarbon Substances [According to the method of T. G. Pridham and D. Gottlieb, J. Bact. 56, 467 (1946)]

The cultures are carried out on agar slopes at 26° C. Amongst substances regularly giving rise to a rapid and complete growth are: xylose, arabinose, rhamnose, glucose, galactose, mannose, lactose, maltose, raffinose, dextrin, starch, glycerol (in S. 8899 only), adonitol, mannitol, sorbitol, inositol (in S. 8899 only). In contrast, sorbose, inulin (in S. 31723 only), esculin, erythritol and dulcitol allow no development, or only very restricted development. Finally, substances which produce an irregular, moderate or weak growth in the experiments include ribose, levulose, sucrose, inulin (in S. 8899 only), glycerol (in S. 31723 only), and inositol (in S. 31723 only).

Systematic Classification

The characteristics to be taken into consideration for the systematic classification of S. coeruleorubidus strains 8899 and 31723 are: the turquoise blue colour of the aerial mycelium; the biverticillate structure of the spirals of the spore-bearing apparatus; the positive melamine reaction of cultures on appropriate media; the particular red colour of the vegetative mycelium on appropriate media; and the particular red colour of soluble pigments on appropriate media.

The first two characteristics place S. coeruleorubidus strains 8899 and 31723 in the biverticillus-spira blue series section of Pridham's classification, in which no other species is described. The properties taken together place S. coeruleorubidus strains 8899 and 31723, in the new classification of S. A. Waksman "The Actinomycetes" (The Williams and Wilkins Company, Baltimore, 1961), Vol. II, page 155, in the melamine + group, series 5 (red to reddish-orange growth); no species occurs in this series having a blue aerial mycelium. S. coeruleorubidus strains 8899 and 31723 may therefore be placed in this series with the qualification "blue aerial mycelium".

The process of the invention for the production of antibiotic 9865 RP comprises cultivating Streptomyces 8899 or Streptomyces 31723 or a productive mutant thereof in a nutrient medium containing assimilable sources of carbon, nitrogen, and mineral salts until substantial antibiotic activity is produced by the said microorganism in the said medium, and recovering the said antibiotic from the medium. The culture of Streptomyces 8899 or Streptomyces 31723 may be carried out by any method of aerobic surface or submerged culture, but the latter is preferred for reasons of convenience. For this purpose the various types of apparatus currently used in the fermentation industry are employed.

The following scheme for making a production culture is preferably used: ##STR1##

The fermentation medium must contain assimilable sources of carbon, nitrogen, and mineral salts and, optionally, growth factors, all these elements being introduced in the form of well-defined substances or as complex mixtures, such as those encountered in biological products of various origins.

Carbohydrates, such as glucose, lactose, sucrose, molasses, dextrins, starch, and other carbohydrates such as the sugar alcohols, e.g. mannitol, may be used as carbon sources, and also certain organic acids, e.g. lactic, citric, and tartaric acids. Certain animal or vegetable oils such as lard or soya oil may advantageously replace these various carbon sources, or be combined with them. A wide range of sources of assimilable nitrogen are suitable. They may be simple chemical substances such as nitrates, inorganic and organic ammonium salts, urea and amino acids. They may also be complex substances containing nitrogen principally in the form of protein, such as casein, lactalbumin, gluten and hydrolysates thereof, soya-, groundnut-, and fish-meals, meat extracts, yeast, distillers' solubles and corn-steep. Amongst the mineral elements added, certain may exert a buffering or neutralising effect, such as alkali metal or alkaline earth metal phosphates and calcium and magnesium carbonates. Other mineral salts contribute to the ionic equilibrium necessary for the development of Streptomyces 8899 and 31723 and the formation of the antibiotic, for example alkali metal and alkaline earth metal chlorides and sulphates. In addition, certain substances act as activators of the metabolic reactions of Streptomyces 8899 and 31723; these are the salts of zinc, cobalt, iron, copper and manganese.

The pH of the nutrient medium at the beginning of culture should be between 6.0 and 7.8, and preferably 6.5 to 7.5. The optimal temperature for the culture is 25°-28° C., but satisfactory production is obtained at temperatures between 23° and 35° C. The aeration of the fermentation medium may be varied over a fairly wide range of values but it has been found that aeration rates of 0.3 to 2 liters of air per minute per liter of medium are particularly suitable. The maximal yield of antibiotic is obtained after 2 to 5 days of culture, this period depending essentially on the medium used. From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the general conditions for the culture of Streptomyces 8899 and 31723 for the production of antibiotic 9865 RP may be varied to a fairly wide degree.

9865 RP may be isolated from the fermentation cultures by various methods. The fermentation culture may be filtered at a pH between 1.5 and 9 and, in these conditions, the major part of the active material passes into the filtrate. After washing with water, the filter-cake retains practically no active material. It is advantageous to carry out this operation using an acid medium, and particularly one acidified with oxalic acid to a pH between 1.5 and 2. It is also possible to carry out the filtration at a pH between 2 and 7, preferably near to 2, in the presence of an aliphatic alcohol containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms.

In these extraction operations 9865 RP is obtained in aqueous or aqueous-alcoholic solution and it is then extracted with a water-immiscible organic solvent such as butanol, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethyl acetate or chloroform, at a pH between 5.5 and 9, preferably about 7.5. This extraction may be preceded by absorption of the antibiotic on an ion-exchange resin, in which case the aqueous solution is adjusted to a pH about 4 and then treated with a cationic carboxylic exchange resin, preferably Amberlite IRC 50, in the hydrogen form. Elution is then effected with a saline or acidic, aqueous-alcoholic solution, preferably with methanol containing 10% water and 1% sodium chloride. The eluate is concentrated to remove the alcohol and then extracted as described above.

The fermentation medium may also be directly extracted with a water-immiscible organic solvent such as butanol, ethyl acetate or chloroform, at a pH between 5.5 and 9, preferably about 7.5. In this case, all the active material passes into the organic phase, which is separated from the aqueous phase by the usual methods.

Whatever the mode of extraction chosen, the antibiotic 9865 RP is finally obtained in organic solution. It may be advantageous at this stage to purify the antibiotic by successively passing it into aqueous solution and into organic solution by varying the pH. The crude antibiotic may then be isolated from the organic solution obtained in the last-mentioned operation by concentration or precipitation with a poor solvent for the antibiotic, such as hexane. A method of isolation which has been found to be particularly advantageous consists of acidifying the organic solution to a pH of about 4, preferably with acetic acid, and concentrating it under reduced pressure to a smaller volume. Addition of a poor solvent for 9865 RP, such as hexane, to the concentrate obtained causes the precipitation of the crude antibiotic.

To obtain 9865 RP in a purer state, all the usual methods may be used, such as chromatography on an adsorbent substance, countercurrent distribution, or partition between various solvents. It has been found particularly advantageous to utilise one of the following two methods: chromatography on alumina at pH 4 of the crude antibiotic dissolved in butanol; and solution of the crude antibiotic in a mixture of methylene chloride-carbon tetrachloride-water (5:1:6 by volume), decantation of the aqueous phase followed by its extraction with methylene chloride, combination of the methylene chloride extracts, and concentration of the latter under reduced pressure, followed by the addition of hexane to the concentrate obtained to precipitate the purified antibiotic. A similar method may also be used in which the methylene chloride is replaced by ethyl acetate.

It is possible to repeat the different methods indicated for the extraction and isolation of 9865 RP several times according to manufacturing requirements, to obtain this antibiotic in a form pure enough for the purposes envisaged.

The 9865 RP isolated by any of the foregoing methods may then be separated into its three constituents, 1305 RP, 13213 RP and 13330 RP. This separation may be effected by the usual methods used for the separation of an antibiotic into its constituents, such as chromatography on various substances or countercurrent distribution. It has been found that the latter gives the more advantageous results, in particular when carried out by one of the following processes, which are, however, only preferred procedures: to obtain 13057 RP alone, countercurrent distribution of 9865 RP with a butanol-phosphate-buffer of pH 7 - 7.5 system; to obtain 13213 RP alone, countercurrent distribution of 9865 RP in a butanol-ethyl acetate system buffered to pH 4; and to obtain the separation of the three constituents from 9865 RP, two successive countercurrent distributions, at first with a limited number of transfers with a system composed of two chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons buffered to pH 5.8, which produces two fractions, an aqueous phase containing 13057 RP contaminated with 13213 RP and an organic phase containing a mixture of 13213 RP and 13330 RP contaminated with 13057 RP, followed by the separate treatment of the two fractions thus obtained with an ethyl acetate-methanol system phosphate-buffered to pH 5.5, which permits, on the one hand, the isolation of 13057 RP and, on the other, the separation of 13213 RP and 13330 RP.

The various countercurrent distribution operations may be preceded or followed by the usual purification processes, particularly extraction or recrystallisation, in order to obtain the three constituents in a form pure enough for the use envisaged.

The following non-limitative Examples illustrate the invention. Activity is throughout determined by turbidimetric estimation, using Klebsiella pneumoniae as the sensitive organism, by comparison with a sample of 9865 RP of known activity used as control. This activity is expressed in units (u) per mg. for solid products and in units per cc. for solutions. (The unit is defined as the smallest quantity of product which, dissolved in 1 cc. of an appropriate medium, inhibits the growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae under the conditions in question.)

EXAMPLE 1

A 170 liter fermentation vessel is charged with:

    ______________________________________                                         Corn steep         2.400 kg.                                                   Sucrose            3.600 kg.                                                   Calcium carbonate  0.900 kg.                                                   Ammonium sulphate  0.240 kg.                                                   Water to           100 liters                                                  ______________________________________                                    

This culture medium has a pH of 6.15. It is sterilised by passage of steam at 122° C. for 40 minutes. After cooling, the volume of the broth is 120 liters and the pH is 7.20. The medium is then seeded with 200 cc. of a culture in an agitated Erlenmeyer flask of the strain "Streptomyces 31723". The culture is carried out for 27 hours at 26°-27° C. with agitation and aeration with sterile air. It is then suitable for seeding the production culture.

The production culture is carried out in an 800 liter fermentation vessel charged with the following:

    ______________________________________                                         Soya flour       20          kg.                                               Distillers' solubles                                                                            2.500       k.                                                Starch           10          kg.                                               Soya oil         2.500       liters                                            Sodium chloride  5           kg.                                               Water to         465         liters.                                           ______________________________________                                    

The pH of the medium thus obtained is adjusted to 7.20 with concentrated sodium hydroxide solution (400 cc.). The medium is then sterilised by the passage of steam at 122° C. for 40 minutes. After cooling, the volume of the broth is 500 liters and the pH is 6.75. It is then seeded with 50 liters of the culture from the 170 liter fermentation vessel. Culture is carried out at 28° C. for 67 hours with agitation and aeration with sterile air. The pH of the medium is then 7.40 and the volume of the fermentation culture is 520 liters. The quantity of antibiotic present in the medium is 29 μ/cc.

EXAMPLE 2

An inoculum culture is carried out in a 170 liter fermentation vessel under the same conditions as in Example 1 but seeding with 200 cc. of a culture in an agitated Erlenmeyer flask of the strain "Streptomyces 8899".

The production culture is then carried out in an 800 liter fermentation vessel charged with the medium described in Example 1. The pH of the medium is adjusted to 8.10 with concentrated sodium hydroxide solution (750 cc.), and the medium is then sterilised by the passage of steam at 122° C. for 40 minutes. After cooling, the volume of the broth is 500 liters and the pH 6.80. The medium is then seeded with 75 liters of the culture in the 170 liter fermentation vessel, and the culture is carried out at 26°-27° C. for 67 hours with agitation and aeration with sterile air. The pH of the medium is then 7.40 and the volume of the fermentation culture is 545 liters. The quantity of antibiotic present in the medium is 9.1 μ/cc.

EXAMPLE 3

The fermentation culture from Example 1 (520 liters: activity 29 μ/cc.) is placed in a vessel equipped with an agitator and the pH is adjusted to 1.8 with a concentrated solution of oxalic acid. Agitation is carried out for one hour and a filtration adjuvant (20 kg.) then added. The mixture is filtered on a filter-press and the filter-cake washed with water (100 liters) acidified to pH 2 with oxalic acid. The filtrate (612 liters) is treated with concentrated sodium hydroxide solution until the pH is 4.5. The filtrate is then passed through a column containing Amberlite IRC 50 in hydrogen form (20 liters: diameter of column 15.2 cm., height of column 200 cm., height of resin at rest in column 110 cm.). The filtrate passes through the bed of Amberlite from base to top at a rate of 40 liters/hour. The column is then washed with water (100 liters) at a rate of 50 liters/hour circulating from base to top and then with methanol (containing 10% water; 75 liters) circulating from the top to base at a rate of 50 liters/hour. The washings are discarded and the column is then eluted with a solution having the following composition (per liter):

    ______________________________________                                         sodium chloride 10      g.                                                     water           100     cc.                                                    methanol to     1000    cc.                                                    ______________________________________                                    

The eluate (100 liters), which contains the major part of the antibiotic, is concentrated under reduced pressure at 35° C. to 10 liters. The concentrate is extracted at pH 7.5 with chloroform (2 × 5 liters). The chloroformic extract is adjusted to pH 4 with a solution of acetic acid in chloroform (10:100 by volume) and then concentrated at 30° C. under reduced pressure to 100 cc. The antibiotic is precipitated by the addition of hexane (1 liter), separated, washed and dried to give an amorphous red powder (9 g.) of activity 1,400 μ/mg.

EXAMPLE 4

The crude antibiotic (17.1 g.) obtained as described in Example 3 (activity 1530 μ/mg.) is dissolved with stirring in a mixture of methylene chloride (1.5 liters), carbon tetrachloride (0.3 liters) and water (1.8 liters). The pH is then adjusted to 3 by the addition of normal hydrochloric acid (8 cc.). After decanting, the aqueous phase is treated with methylene chloride (7 liters) and 0.1N sodium hydroxide solution (200 cc.) to give a pH of 7.5. After decanting, the aqueous phase is again extracted at pH 7.5 with methylene chloride (3.5 liters). The methylene chloride extracts are combined and concentrated to 100 cc. After the addition of hexane (1 liter) to the concentrate, a product precipitates which is filtered off, washed and dried at 30° C. under reduced pressure to give the antibiotic 9865 RP (9.15 g.) in the form of an amorphous orange-red powder of activity 2180 μ/mg.

EXAMPLE 5

A mixture is prepared of methylene chloride, carbon tetrachloride and MacIlvaine buffer - pH 5.8 (20 cc. of this buffer are prepared by the addition of 12.09 cc. of 0.2 M Na₂ HPO₄ solution to 7.91 cc. of 0.1 M citric acid solution) in the proportions 2:1:3 (by volume). When this mixture is in equilibrium, the two phases are separated. 9865 RP (10 g.) of activity 1750 μ/mg. (obtained as described in Example 4) is dissolved in a mixture of the phases (1 liter of each). This system is subjected to a countercurrent distribution of 6 transfers in 5 liter cells, using the heavy (organic solvent) phase as the mobile phase and the light (aqueous) phase as the stationary phase and using 1 liter of each phase each time. The mixtures of lower phases (mixture A) and upper phases (mixture B) of the first 4 cells, and the mixtures of lower phases (mixture C) and upper phases (mixture D) of the last 3 cells, are collected separately.

Mixture B is adjusted to pH 7.5 by the addition of normal sodium hydroxide solution (300 cc.) and then extracted with chloroform (4 liters, 2 liters and 1 liter). The chloroformic extracts and mixture A are combined and concentrated under reduced pressure (to 700 cc.). The concentrate is washed with water at pH 7.5 (2 × 350 cc.) and the mother liquors of the washings are extracted with chloroform (2 × 100 cc.). The washed concentrate and the chloroformic extracts are combined and concentrated under reduced pressure to 70 cc. Hexane (700 cc.) is then added and the precipitate produced is filtered off, washed and dried under reduced pressure at 30° C., giving a fraction F₁ (5.1 g.) containing principally the antibiotic 13057 RP.

In a separate operation, mixture D is extracted with methylene chloride (3 liters and 1.5 liters). The methylene chloride extracts and mixture C are combined and concentrated under reduced pressure to 800 cc. The concentrate is washed with water (400 cc.) and then concentrated again to 700 cc. Hexane (1 liter) is added and the precipitate produced is filtered off, washed and dried under reduced pressure at 30° C., to give a fraction F₂ (3.7 g.) containing principally 13213 RP and 13330 RP.

EXAMPLE 6

A product (10 g.), similar to fraction F₁ mentioned above, is subjected, after being dissolved in an ethyl acetate-methanol - pH 5.5 M/15 phosphate buffer system (8:3:5 by volume; 200 cc.), to a counter-current distribution of 110 transfers in a 50 cell Craig apparatus (50 transfers in the apparatus and 60 transfers by the "single withdrawal" technique) beginning at the first two cells. The mixture of the upper phases of cells 0 to 37 (3.8 liters) is recovered and concentrated to 300 cc.) The concentrate thus obtained and the mixture of the lower phases of cells 0 to 37 (3.8 liters) are then combined and concentrated to 800 cc. The pH is adjusted to 8 by the addition of normal sodium hydroxide solution (180 cc.) and the solution obtained is extracted with chloroform (800 cc. and 400 cc.). The chloroformic extracts are concentrated to 400 cc. and washed with water (400 cc.) made alkaline to pH 8. The mother liquors of the washing are extracted with chloroform (200 cc.). The washed concentrate and the chloroformic extracts are combined, concentrated to 400 cc., washed with water (400 cc.) made alkaline to pH 8, and concentrated to 100 cc. Butanol (200 cc.) is added, and the mixture concentrated to 100 cc. The butanolic solution obtained is adjusted to pH 3.5 by the addition of butanol saturated with normal hydrochloric acid (30 cc.) and kept for 12 hours at 4° C. Crystals form which are filtered off, washed and dried, giving a first crop (4.55 g.) of crude 13057 RP hydrochloride. Concentration to 100 cc. of the crystallisation mother liquors, addition of hexane (1 liter) and filtering, washing and drying the precipitate produced, gives a second crop (2.5 g.) of crude 13057 RP hydrochloride.

EXAMPLE 7

Crude 13057 RP hydrochloride (3.75 g.), obtained as described in Example 6, is dissolved in dioxan (40 cc.) containing 20% water. The solution obtained is filtered and anhydrous dioxan (15 cc.) is added over 2 hours, followed by anhydrous dioxan (235 cc.) over 30 minutes. A product crystallises which is separated, washed and dried, giving 13057 RP hydrochloride (2.75 g.) in the form of orange-red needles, m.p. 225°-230° C. (with decomposition), of activity 151 μ/mg.

This compound (0.208 g.) is dissolved in a mixture of water (200 cc.) and butanol (150 cc.). 0.1N sodium hydroxide solution (3.4 cc.) is added, the mixture is separated and the aqueous phase then extracted with butanol (50 cc.). The butanolic extracts are combined, washed with water made alkaline to pH 8 (2 × 100 cc.) and concentrated to 10 cc. The concentrate obtained is treated with hexane (50 cc.) and the precipitate produced is filtered off, washed and dried, giving 13057 RP (0.0945 g.) in the form of an amorphous red powder, activity 160 μ/mg.

EXAMPLE 8

A product (5 g.), similar to fraction F₂ obtained in Example 5, is subjected, after being dissolved in an ethyl acetate-methanol - pH 5.5 M/15 phosphate buffer system (8:3:5 by volume; 200 cc.), to a countercurrent distribution identical with that described in Example 6. The mixture of the upper phases of cells 36 to 89 (5.3 liters) is recovered and concentrated to 500 cc. The concentrate thus obtained and the mixture of the lower phases of cells 36 to 89 (5.3 liters) are combined and concentrated to 800 cc. The concentrate is extracted successively with methylene chloride (2 × 800 cc.) and chloroform (800 cc.). The extracts obtained are combined, concentrated to 400 cc., washed with water at pH 7.5 (2 × 400 cc.) and then concentrated to 10 cc. Addition of hexane (100 cc.) causes the precipitation of a product which is filtered off, washed and dried under reduced pressure, giving 13213 RP (1.1 g.) in the form of an amorphous orange-red powder, activity 2,650 μ/mg.

EXAMPLE 9

The fermentation culture (500 liters) obtained in Example 2 is treated as described in Example 3, giving crude 9865 RP (8.5 g.), activity 395 μ/mg. This crude product (17 g.) is purified as described in Example 4 but replacing the methylene chloride by ethyl acetate to give 9865 RP (3 g.), activity 1300 μ/mg.

EXAMPLE 10

9865 RP (12.4 g.), obtained as described in Example 9, is subjected, in a butanol - pH 7.35 M/3 phosphate buffer system, to a 50-transfer countercurrent distribution. By extraction with butanol of the lower phases of cells 12 to 35, concentration of the butanolic extracts, washing and the addition of hexane, a first crop (1 g.) of 13057 RP hydrochloride is obtained, followed, after concentration of the mother liquors, by a second crop (1.1 g.) of the same product. These two crops, after recrystallisation from aqueous dioxan, take the form of orange-red needles, m.p. about 225°-230° C. (with decomposition), activity 67 μ/mg.

A similar treatment applied to cells 36 to 49 gives crude 13213 RP (1.1 g.), activity 1800 μ/mg., which, after being subjected to a 50-transfer countercurrent distribution in a butanol-ethyl acetate - pH 4 MacIlvaine buffer system (3:7:10 by volume), gives 13213 RP (0.5 g.) in the form of an amorphous orange-red powder, activity 200 μ/mg.

EXAMPLE 11

A fermentation culture (625 liters), prepared as described in Example 2, is placed in an agitated vessel. The pH is adjusted to 9 with concentrated sodium hydroxide solution. Agitation is continued for 30 minutes and a filter-adjuvant (32 kg.) then added. The mixture is filtered on a filter-press and washed with water (275 liters). The filtrate (780 liters) is treated with sodium chloride (156 kg.) and the pH adjusted to 3 with 12N hydrochloric acid. The filtrate is then extracted with butanol (260 liters) and the butanolic extract concentrated under reduced pressure at 35° C. to 4 liters. The concentrate is filtered and the crude antibiotic precipitated from the clarified solution with petroleum ether (32 liters), separated, washed and dried in vacuo at 30° C., giving crude 9865 RP (227 g.) as a red-brown powder, activity 45 μ/mg.

The crude product (50 g.) obtained is dissolved in butanol saturated with water (200 cc.) and the solution obtained is chromatographed at pH 4 through a column containing alumina (500 cc.). After fixation of the antibiotic, the chromatogram is developed and eluted with butanol saturated with water (4 liters). Three coloured fractions are recovered (respective volumes 450 cc., 1500 cc. and 1500 cc.). The first fraction is concentrated under reduced pressure to 50 cc. and then treated with hexane (500 cc.), giving 9865 RP (8.3 g.), activity 68.5 μ/mg. The second two fractions are each concentrated under reduced pressure to 100 cc. and treated with hexane (1 liter each) to give, respectively, 9865 RP (4.4 g.), activity 216 μ/mg. and 9865 RP (1.35 g.), activity 800 μ/mg.

EXAMPLE 12

A fermentation culture (425 liters), prepared as described in Example 1 (activity 40 μ/cc.), is acidified to pH 1.8 with oxalic acid and filtered. The filter-cake is washed with water (100 liters) acidified to pH 2 with oxalic acid and the combined filtrate obtained (500 liters) is extracted at pH 8 with chloroform (150 liters and 100 liters). The extracts are combined and extracted with waer at pH 4 (80 liters and 50 liters). The aqueous extract obtained is made alkaline to pH 8 with normal sodium hydroxide solution and extracted with chloroform (40 liters and 20 liters). The chloroformic extracts thus obtained are acidified to pH with a solution of acetic acid in chloroform (10:100 by volume) and the acidified extract concentrated at 30° C. under reduced pressure to 50 cc. The crude antibiotic is then precipitated by the addition of hexane (500 cc.), separated, washed and dried in vacuo at 30° C., giving 9865 RP (680 mg.) in the form of a red powder, activity 1080 μ/mg.

EXAMPLE 13

9865 RP (500 mg.), obtained as described in Example 4, is dissolved in normal sulphuric acid (100 cc.) and the solution obtained is heated for 20 minutes on a water-bath. After cooling and extracting with ethyl acetate (3 × 200 cc.), the organic extract is dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate, filtered and concentrated to a small volume, giving, after filtering, washing and drying, crystals (218.5 mg.). These crystals (150 mg.) are dissolved in chloroform (3 cc.) and benzene (1.5 cc.) and the solution obtained is chromatographed on 20 sheets of Arches No. 310 paper impregnated with a solution of acetone containing 20% formamide, and developed for 90 minutes by means of a 2:1 mixture of chloroform and benzene saturated with formamide. The principal zone of Rf = 0.86 is cut out of each of the 20 sheets and the 20 zones thus cut out are comminuted in a mixer in the presence of methanol. The mixture obtained is filtered, concentrated, and water (10 volumes) added. The precipitate obtained is filtered off, washed and dried under reduced pressure to give crystals (120 mg.). These crystals (170 mg.) are dissolved in dioxan containing 20% water (15 cc.) and water acidified to pH 4 with 0.1N hydrochloric acid is added dropwise. The crystals formed are filtered off, washed and dried, thus giving the aglycone of 9865 RP (130 mg.) in the form of orange-red needles, having a first melting point at 160° C. and a second at 225°-230° C.

EXAMPLE 14

13057 Rp (500 mg.), obtained as described in Example 7, is treated with sulphuric acid as described in Example 13 for 9865 RP, giving crystals (300 mg.) which, after being treated as described in Example 13, yield the aglycone of 13057 RP (202 mg.) in the form of orange-red needles having a first melting point at 160° C. and a second at 225°-230° C. This aglycone is identical with that of 9865 RP.

The present invention includes within its scope pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one of the antibiotics defined above in association with a compatible pharmacologically acceptable carrier. The compositions may also contain other physiologically active substances. These compositions may be made up in any pharmaceutical form appropriate for the route of administration in question.

Preparations according to the invention for parenteral administration include sterile aqueous or non-aqueous solutions, suspensions, or emulsions. Examples of non-aqueous solvents or suspending media are propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, vegetable oils such as olive oil, and injectable organic esters such as ethyl oleate. These compositions may also contain adjuvants such as preserving, wetting, emulsifying and dispersing agents. They may be sterilised by, for example, filtration through a bacteria-retaining filter, by incorporation in the compositions of sterilising agents, by irradiation, or by heating. They may also be manufactured in the form of sterile solid compositions, which can be dissolved in sterile water or some other sterile injectable medium immediately before use.

The percentage of active ingredient in the compositions of the invention may be varied, it being necessary that it should constitute a proportion such that a suitable dosage for the therapeutic effect desired shall be obtained. Obviously several unit dosage forms may be administered at about the same time. In general, the preparations should normally contain at least 0.001% by weight of active substance when required for administration by injection.

For the treatment of cancer by intravenous administration, daily doses are generally between 0.1 and 2 mg, for an adult. Compositions for injection consist, for example, of a solution containing 0.1 mg./cc. of active substance in sterile physiological saline. 

We claim:
 1. The antibiotic 13057 RP being an amorphous red powder soluble in alcohols and chloroform, very slightly soluble in water and ketones and practically insoluble in benzene and diethyl ether; containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen in the following proportions, C = 59.8%, H = 5.8%, N = 2.3%, O = 29.45%; melting at 155°-170° C. (with decomposition); having an ultra-violet spectrum (as determined on a solution in 96% ethanol) showing absorption maxima at 236 mμ, E₁ cm..sup. 1% = 621, 255 mμ, E₁ cm..sup. 1% = 426, 290-295 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 135, and 482-498 mμ, E₁ cm..sup. 1% = 230, and absorption minima at 245 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 378, 280 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 122, and 325 mμ, E₁ cm..sup. 1% = 10, and a shoulder at 533 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 127; and having an infra-red spectrum (as determined on tablets in mixture with potassium bromide) showing the following principal absorption bands: about 3450 very strong, 295 strong, 1715 medium, 1615 strong, 1582 strong, 1447 strong, 1410 strong, 1380 strong, 1355 strong, 1282 strong, 1262 shoulder, 1230 strong, 1205 strong, about 1190 shoulder, 1150 shoulder, 1117 strong, 1090 medium, 1080 medium, 1068 medium, 1033 medium, 1010 strong, 983 strong, 950 weak, 918 weak, 867 weak, about 840 weak, 815 medium, 790 medium, 762 medium; and its non-toxic acid addition salts.
 2. The aglycone of the antibiotic 13057 RP as defined in claim
 1. 3. A non-toxic acid addition salt of the antibiotic 13057 RP as defined in claim
 1. 4. The hydrochloride of 13057 RP being orange-red needles soluble in water and alcohols, slightly in chloroform and practically insoluble in benzene and diethyl ether; having the following elemental composition: C = 55.4%, H = 5.45%, O = 28.8%, N = 2.13%, Cl = 6.15%; melting at 225°-230° C. (with decomposition), showing an optical rotation of [α]_(D).sup. 20 = +240° (c = 0.1; methanol); having an utra-violet spectrum (as determined on a solution in 96% ethanol) showing absorption maxima at 236 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 594, 255 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 410, 290-295 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 129, and 482-498 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 218, and absorption minima at 245 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 360, 280 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 118, and 325 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 10, and a shoulder at 533 mμ, E₁ cm.^(1%) = 120, and having an infra-red spectrum (as determined on tablets in mixture with potassium bromide) showing the following principal absorption bands: about 3450 very strong, about 2925 strong, 1707 strong, 1610 very strong, 1575 very strong, 1439 very strong, 1408 very strong, 1370 strong, 1350 strong, 1282 very strong, 1260 shoulder, 1228 strong, 1205 very strong, about 1190 shoulder, about 1145 shoulder, 1112 very strong, 1080 strong, 1064 strong, 1028 strong, 1000 very strong, 982 very strong, 950 medium, 935 medium, 912 medium, 882 medium, 867 strong, 838 strong, 813 strong, 788 strong, 762 strong, about 692 medium. 